Back to Acts and paradigms
I feel a bit like saying, "and when we last saw our intrepid travelers . . ." It is has been a while since I wrote, and in that interim I meandered off the path of thought ~ so let me recap and regroup. My last series of related blogs were about Barnabas and the effect of the paradigm held in the days of the infant church at the time of the conversion of Saul/Paul and the dispersion of the church because of persecution. so... 1) We know that the paradigm of that season was that God was the God of the Jews. Salvation meant not merely establishment and/or restoration of a personal relationship with God, it meant becoming part of the Jewish community which in the minds of the community was the intended Kingdom of the Kingdom of God. The Jews were God's people, and to be saved meant first to be Jewish...and then to have relationship with God. but 2) We know God wanted to change that paradigm. The first clue for me is the discussion the disciples have with Jesus just b...